A is for Apple
B is for Ball
C is for configuring thematic elements in a children’s story to be told using dance.
Enter BeBe Ballerina, a character developed by Ron Ben Joseph and Kerry of the RBJ Kid’s Variety Show. I sat down with Ron and he asked me to play this character in their new show. So my task was to tell a story to children through dance. At that time I was thinking, this is most definitely a role for me. The story to illuminate and illustrate first was Cinderella.
The first professional dance show I went to see as a child was Cinderella. I remember wearing my most princess like dress (full of sparkle) and squirming next to my mother at the theater. And then the show began. I sat enthralled as the story unfolded and the dancers moved. And when that iconic gilded staircase appeared I think every person in the audience sat a little straighter, watching as Cinderella descended. Let’s just say after that show, many more people became enchanted by dance.
Flash forward to my high school years where I realized I would never be a Prima ballerina. As much as I enjoyed ballet, I had a greater affinity for jazz, modern and lyrical which would later blossom into contemporary. But unlike traditional dancers, my generation of dancer was encouraged to be the triple threat. We sang, danced, and acted to become more marketable entertainers. I ran around singing “FAME I’m going to live for-everrrrrr”. We were encouraged to have exposure in many dance styles.
Even as I turned into this multifaceted entertainer using performance art, Latin, and modern dance to differentiate myself, I have never relinquished the idea that I could become a Prima. Someone who has studied their craft dutifully and is a top performer. So while I’ll never become a Prima Ballerina. I am constantly working to become an Atypical Prima.
See you on the dance floor,
Denita
